Voice-to-decision: capturing field decisions hands-free

Voice-to-decision is the hands-free way to capture a job-site decision. You tap the mic, say the decision out loud, hang up. Buildra transcribes, tags, routes to the right module, and notifies the right people. The whole interaction is under 30 seconds.

When to use it

Use voice-to-decision when you have made a call in the field and need it documented before you forget. Examples:

• “Decided to substitute the satin-finish hardware for the original brushed nickel on the master bath — owner approved verbally.”
• “Moved the bedroom outlet from the west wall to the south wall to clear the new built-in.”
• “Going to add a third coat of paint to the foyer ceiling — first two coats showed roller marks.”

The flow

1. Open the Buildra mobile app. Tap the floating microphone button at the bottom right.
2. The recorder opens. Tap the red button.
3. Speak the decision out loud, in plain English.
4. Tap stop. The recording uploads in the background.
5. A few seconds later, Buildra shows you the transcript with suggested tags (location, trade, severity) and asks you to confirm. Tap Save.

Tip: You do not need to be in a quiet environment. The transcription is tuned for job-site audio — generators, compressors, voices. Just speak clearly.

What happens after save

The decision is logged at /projects/<id>/decisions. Buildra also:

• Classifies the decision (substitution, change request, schedule adjustment, etc.).
• Tags the affected trade.
• Flags it for follow-up if it suggests a cost or schedule impact.
• Notifies the relevant team members (PM, foreman, owner, depending on routing rules).
• Adds a quick-link to convert it to an RFI or change order if the AI thinks it warrants paperwork.

Editing the transcript

If the transcription gets a word wrong, tap the transcript in the confirmation screen and edit it inline. Common mis-hears (subs, product names) get added to your project's custom dictionary the second time you correct them.

Routing rules

Under /settings/voice-decisions you can configure routing rules. Examples:

• “Any decision tagged owner-approved → email the owner a confirmation copy.”
• “Any decision tagged cost-impact → create a draft change order.”
• “Any decision tagged safety → notify the safety officer.”

Why this matters

Most field decisions never make it into the system. They happen in a 30-second hallway conversation, a phone call from the lumber yard, a quick “yeah, do it” over text. When the question comes up later (“wait, who approved that?”) the documentation is missing.

Voice-to-decision moves the friction below the threshold of annoyance. If logging a decision takes 30 seconds, you do it. If it takes five minutes of typing, you do not.